The present invention relates to the presentation of channel, program, and broadcast information for a multiple channel television broadcast system.
Television broadcasting technology has improved tremendously since its inception. Today, television signals are broadcast on the airwaves, through cables, and via satellite. The number of stations accessible today has increased to hundreds of stations. To select a program to view, many viewers simply xe2x80x9cchannel surfxe2x80x9d until they find a channel that has a desirable program. Channel surfing refers to the process of using the channel xe2x80x9c+xe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cxe2x88x92xe2x80x9d key to sequentially view each channel. Although some viewers find channel surfing among hundreds of stations enjoyable, most viewers prefer a more direct method for selecting a program to view. Therefore, a number of broadcast systems and receivers provide electronic program guides (EPGs) for a viewer access.
Some systems switch between displays of an EPG or a broadcast of a program. Other systems use decimation techniques to provide a reduced-sized broadcast image which is displayed concurrently with an EPG. However, current systems do not provide a visible link between different types of program guides. Thus a viewer may get lost switching between programs and EPGs. Thus it is desirable to provide a way to visually connect the current program to the EPG displaying an entry of the current program.
Furthermore, typical systems provide for an EPG of a single format. If multiple formats are provided, each format is represented by a separate screen displays.
A method and apparatus for visually connecting a displayed program and an electronic program guide (EPG). In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a first receiver that receives image signals such as those received from a broadcast network. A tuner selects images or a channel broadcast to display. A second receiver receives control signals, such as those generated by a user using a remote control device. When a control signal is received indicating that the user wishes to view a program guide, a controller performs a zoom from the broadcast displayed to the electronic program guide. Once the zoom is complete, the broadcast is alpha-blended behind the program guide. This innovative process of zooming between a broadcast and the program guide provides the user a visual link between the two such that user does not get lost or confused in the transition.
In an alternate embodiment, multiple levels of detail of program guide information is selectable by the user. A zoom function is provided that enables the use to zoom in or zoom out. In response the apparatus performs an program guide zoom function in which the level of detail of the program guide is expanded or compressed. In one embodiment, at a determined point in the zoom, a certain level of detail is changed by fading in/out the new representation/old representation. For example, when going from a first level of detail containing station logos, to a second level of detail, the logos are replaced by the alphabetic abbreviation for the station network, by fading out the logos and fading in the abbreviation.